21 Day Vegan Kickstart - week 2

So last week I started the 21 day vegan kickstart. For the most part, I did pretty good all week. A minor slip up over the weekend, but we were celebrating our daughter's 4th birthday (which is today), so I had a piece of cheese pizza and some cake and ice cream. But no meat for the past week, so I count that as an accomplishment. Especially since Clean Fresh Hubby fried up some bacon for breakfast yesterday. It was killing me not to just reach over and break off a little piece to savor. But I was strong.

I think being a week in helped. Two days into this challenge, I was already figuring how I would live after this was over. Meat, no problem, I can give that up forever. But cheese and dairy? I told Clean Fresh Hubby I may have to cave on those.

But now, one week later, I'm feeling more resolved about the whole thing. I just started reading Alicia Silverstone's "The Kind Diet" and it is giving me the inspiration and motivation I need to continue on with this journey.

And I've found a few recipes that are so darn tasty I don't even miss the meat or cheese. Like this one:

Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic, Tomatoes and Basil

1/2 box of Barilla Plus angel hair (or you could use whole wheat, but I like the Barilla Plus because it has the added protein and tastes more like "normal" pasta)
1 can organic diced tomatoes
6 cloves minced garlic (we like a lot of garlic in our house, so adjust as necessary!)
4t olive oil
1 bunch fresh basil, diced (or 1t of dried basil)
salt to taste



I boil up the pasta first and then set it aside while I prepare the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and once hot, add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the can of diced tomatoes, stir and salt to taste. If you are using dried basil, I add that at this point as well (if you are using fresh basil, add it at the end). Once the tomato mixture is heated, add the pasta to the pan, stir and heat through.

Normally I would serve this with grated parmesan (which is how Clean Fresh Hubby enjoyed it last night), but honestly, it tastes just as good without the cheese, so I didn't feel like I was missing out. I made this pasta for our daughter's birthday party over the weekend and it was a hit with the family as well.



So I'm starting week 2 with a strong resolve to see this through. It's hard to be perfect, so I will not berate myself for little slipups along the way. I figure it is the end result that is important and if it means I feel better and am healthier, than that is what really counts.

And did I mention I lost two pounds last week? Woo hoo! Just an added bonus!